NEPSE Slips 0.97% as All 13 Sectoral Indices End Lower

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index dropped 0.97 percent, or 27.14 points, on Sunday, August 17, to close at 2,761.22.

Investors had expected the market to regain momentum after Thursday’s modest rebound of 0.09 percent, which had followed three straight days of losses. But a red candlestick with a long upper shadow and a large body signalled that sellers dominated the session.

Trading activity surged. More than 20.51 million shares changed hands in 86,669 transactions, compared to 19.25 million shares in 76,542 deals last Thursday. Daily turnover climbed to Rs 7.73 billion from Rs 7.46 billion on Thursday and Rs 6.16 billion on Wednesday.

Of the 249 listed companies traded, 58 advanced while 191 declined. All major indices ended in negative territory: the Sensitive Index, tracking A-class companies, slid 1.07 percent; the Float Index, representing publicly tradable shares, fell 0.91 percent; and the Sensitive Float Index dipped 0.95 percent.

All 13 sectoral indices finished in the red. The Trading Index led the decline with a 1.64 percent fall, followed by the Others Index (–1.34%), Microfinance (–1.31%), Banking (–1.03%), and Manufacturing and Processing (–1.0%). The Mutual Fund Index posted the smallest loss, down 0.10 percent.

RBB Mutual Fund 1 (RMF1) was the day’s top gainer, jumping 7.93 percent, while Sampada Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (SMPDA) suffered the steepest loss, plunging 7.06 percent.

In terms of turnover, Nepal Reinsurance Company Limited (NRIC) topped the chart with Rs 516.70 million, followed by Himalayan Reinsurance Limited (HRL) at Rs 354.52 million and Nepal Republic Media Limited (NRM) at Rs 249.61 million.

Market capitalisation slipped to Rs 4,610.94 billion from Rs 4,656.27 billion last Thursday.